A review by missamandamae
The Hours Count by Jillian Cantor

5.0

A fascinating look at the ordeal of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, told from the point of view of a fictionalized neighbor who befriends Ethel as everything unfolds. Millie is a housewife with a Russian immigrant husband and a son who displays behaviors that would now be considered autism. We follow Millie as she struggles with raising her son, with her strained relationship with her husband, and her friendship with the Rosenbergs, her neighbors down the hall. My heart broke for this woman as she tries to make her marriage work, to love and help her little son, and build a friendship with Ethel Rosenberg, the one woman in their apartment building who doesn't try to ignore her and her son. While the author makes a few liberties with historical facts, the story of the everyday life the Rosenbergs were forced to leave tugs at your heartstrings. It's a gripping read as the threat of Soviet espionage becomes greater, and Millie becomes more desperate to make her life what she wants. Jillian Cantor makes a great story, and I really must read her first book Margot before too long!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher.